Middle English Dictionary Entry
lūcre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lūcre n. Also lucour, -or, -ur, lukir. |
| Etymology | L lucrum; also cp. OF (15th cent.) lucre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Monetary gain, profit; money, wages; (b) illicit gain; ~ of vileinie, worldli ~, filthy lucre; (c) advantage, benefit; gostli ~, spiritual gain; (d) ?as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2590 : The lost is had, the lucre is lore; To gete a pound, thei spenden fyve.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1989 : Wher he pourposeth him to fare Upon his lucre and his beyete, The smale path, the large Strete..Al is bot on for thilke while.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.3037 : If men sechin sikernesse Uppon the lucre of ma[r]chandie, Compassement, and tricherie Of singuler profit to wynne, Men seyn is cause of mochil synne.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)110 : If iugis..demen vniustli for..lucre or drede, thei ben enemies and traitouris of the king.
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)365 : And of thy manuel labour..Thy lucre is swich þt it vnnethe is seene.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ezek.22.27 : The princes..weren as wolues..to leese men, and in suynge lucris [WB(1): wynnyngis; L lucra] gredili.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)165b/b : I brouȝt agayne preysyng and lucre [L lucrum] & copie..of frendez.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.38/11 : Marchawntis..with hope of lucur commyttid themself to the meveable wyndis.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)24/406 : Ȝif þai louen more here lucour þen þe soule lyue, Lytul deynteþ..of here dyngnite.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Priesthood (Corp-C 296)172 : Þei traueilen faste aboute here owene worldly honour and lucre.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)413 : The riche lent be fals collucioun Onli for lucre.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1544 : Þus bothe oure þanke & lucre gon a-weye.
- (1450) RParl.5.181b : The saide Duke..caused..dyvers persones to be Shirreves..som for lucre of good, and som to be appliable to his entent.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)375/29 : Þeȝe iij lordez..for lucre of Moneye, had made promis to þe Frenschmen to haue slayne oure King.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3896 : Beryn..of his grete lukir in hert was riȝte feyn.
- (1469) Doc.Brewer in Nrf.Archaeol.5324 : Certeyn persones of this Cite..for their singler lucre & avayle, have nowe newely bigonne to take money for their seid goddisgood.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)33/5 : In here lucrys [Trev.: wynnynge] & wynnyngis they byn Argi, þat is to seyne as circumspect & as ware as was Argus.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.2717 : It is a wofull thyng..ffor lucre of goode..A man to fals his othe.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)210/3 : Mathewe..for auarice and couetyse ȝaf hym to fowle lucres and customes.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)71 : False merchauntz..rennyth aboute over all, for wynnyng & lucre.
- a1500 Play Sacr.(Dub 652)822 : I sold owr Lordys body for lucre of mony.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pri.(Manly-Rickert)B.1681 : A Iewerye Sustened by a lord..For foul vsure and lucre of vileynye.
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)71 : In these paynes ben þe sowles of thoo þat he suffred..to liue in synne for loue and covetise of worldly lucor.
- a1450 WBible(2) (Hrl 6333)Laod.p.439 [1.13] : Joie ȝe in Crist, and eschewe ȝe men defoulid in lucre, either foul wynnyng.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1706 : Loke, how a sek man for his hele Takth baldemoine with Canele, And with the Mirre takth the Sucre; Ryht upon such a maner lucre Stant Florent.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2817 : He kepte his liberte To do justice and equite Withoute lucre of such richesse.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1402 : Lo swich a lucre is in this lusty game A mannes myrthe it wol turne in to grame.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)330/5 : I schal now speke to þee..of þat þing which I do of loue and for her gode, to avoyde hem fro eendelees paynes and for her lucre, þat þei mowe þe sonner resceyue euerlastynge liif.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.1448 : Togidre assurid to been of allie In losse or lucre.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)60/3 : Worschyps be not ȝeuen to the for the, bot for gostly lucre that myght come ther-of.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)48/2 : If þou seke þi solace & þi lucre in oþir, þou shalt ofte tymes fynde þyn hindring.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)104/18 : Whan þou wenist þiself almost loste, þan ofte tymes comeþ grettist lucre of merit.
d
- (1264) Doc.Ireland in RS 53150 : Johannes Lukere, Robertus Lukere.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 ?Scrope Ribot First Monks (Lamb 192)132/10 : The fyfte cause is to flee the stynkynge lukyr and massagys.
Note: Additional quot., sense (b).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.4ra (Prologue) : Loue & charite ouercommeþ simple men, but couetouse of temporal lucre or of praysing or of fauour ouercometh hem þat bene childer of þis worlde.
Note: Additional quot. Editor's gloss: 'wealth'.